Comfort Food Instead of Comfort Words
by esmeblaise
Summary: Karkat may not be good at comforting people with words, but cakes are a different thing.


Karkat didn't always cook. In fact up until a couple months ago he could barely make ramen. But one day when he was flipping through shows on the tv (and complaining about all of them) he found the cooking channel. For some reason watching judges critic people's food made Karkat stop yelling the mistakes at strangers and instead get up and cook the dishes himself to prove that it "wasn't that hard you daft pea-sized-brained idiot how did you ever pass chef collage the only thing you should be doing with that knife is stabbing yourself." After a while (and lots of burnt food that he yelled at) Karkat became a pretty good chef. And while he would yell at anyone who tried to help him cook dinner, he would always cook dinner for someone else.

"Motherfucking thit damnit ath god FUCKing thit." Sollux kicked his shoes off and threw his bag across the room -growling the whole time- before collapsing on the couch, his legs strewn over Karkat who was watching some rom-com.

Terezi looked up from her place on the ground where she was currently coloring on the book _twilight_ in a red crayon, "Something you would like to share with the class Mr. Appleberry?"

Sollux growled in return and Karkat rolled his eyes, "Sollux if you're not going to fucking talk then shut the hell up so I can watch this movie."

Sollux grimaced, "Ugh."

Karkat and Terezi looked up before grabbing the remote and turning the TV off.

Terezi tried first, "Soooo Sollux what happened at your wonderful job in computering?"

"TZ, 1. I already told you that my job isn't 'computering and 2. It thucked"

Karkat's turn, "So which aasshole did you managee to piss off this time?"

"Thame one, fucking douchebag mc flirty ath."

Terezi grimaced, "Ugh what did Eridan do now ?"

Sollux sighed, "He wath pethtering FF again and wathn't taking a hint that the didn't want him there. Tho I promptely told him to fuck off. He of courthe decided that he wath too rich to talk to me -again- and kept on harrathing FF. I think you can guess what happened next."

They did. Feferi's mom owned a huge company and Feferi was training to run it next so she spent a lot of time there. Sollux was working with the computers there and became close friends with her. Unfortunately Feferi's neighbor and childhood friend Eridan (or as they called him 'fucking douchebag mc flirty ass') liked to come over and hit on her at work because he was "so rich he doesn't need to work" making him a huge pain the ass. Feferi has tried turning him down but she's too nice to get the message across leaving Sollux to have to tell him to back the hell off. This always leads to a fight in the middle of work, usually with just loud angry insults although punches have been thrown in the past. This has happened so many times that Sollux has only kept his job because he was an expert in his field and friends with the next boss.

"You get fired?" Karkat asked, eying him for and injuries (he found none, much to his relief)

"No but they thaid next time it happenth I'm gone."

"Shit…" Terezi mumbled. Sollux could see the gears working in her head, figuring out if she could do something with the law.

When she couldn't find anything she shook her head, "Don't worry your probably pretty little head about it Appleberry, you weren't the only one with a bad day. After class I went to Vriska's house and her sister was visiting."

"Oh god not Aranea." Karkat moaned.

"Yep she's the one."

"Is she still trying to convince you to get your eyesight repaired?"

"Yep."

Terezi had used to be pretty good friends with Aranea but when Vriska had a successful surgery on her left eye, that had been blinded after she got hit by a car, Aranea decided that Terezi should also do it. Terezi almost agreed to it too after having a major fight with Vriska but was stopped by John.

"God I just, I just hate her. At least Vriska acknowledges she's a bitch but Aranea acts like she's above everyone else. I can't stand it." Sollux nodded in agreement before turning on the tv.

After Terezi went back to coloring and Sollux found a channel he liked Karkat quietly headed to the other room and started rummaging through the cabinets, an idea forming in his head.

Up until now Karkat had never showed anyone that he can cook. He wasn't sure why but it probably had to do with the fact that he was afraid his friends would make fun of him.

But now he was willing to put his skills to the test. Comforting may not be his strong suit but comfort food was something else.

Now all he had to do was figure out what to make.

He needed honey of course, it was Sollux's favorite thing. Red candy was Terezi's favorite but apples would do. Karkat flipped through the dishes in his head, trying to find a suitable recipe.

Finally settling on a dish Karkat started pulling out the ingredients, being uncharacteristically quiet.

About ten minutes in Terezi realized that she hadn't heard a word from Karkat in a while. When she told Sollux he was surprised as well. Usually Karkat could be heard a mile away. Even when he was not screaming (which was pretty rare) he was still very _very_ loud.

"Do you think he left?" Terezi asked.

"No, he usually makes a big deal about it and thlams the door." Sollux replied, "Maybe he went to bed?"

"Karkles doesn't go to bed unless we literally drag him there, and he only sleeps when someone is there with him."

"Well then where ith he? He can't be on his computer, he yellth at it almost conthtatly. And he can't be in the bathroom it'th been over ten minuteth!"

Just when they were about to get up and find him Karkat walked in from the other room.

"Hey, shit faces, come here." Terezi and Sollux looked at each other. Karkat sounded _timed_ and that was a lot weirder than quiet. They cautiously got up before following Karkat into the dining room.

If they though timid was weird then what they saw was downright _bizarre_.

Terezi found her voice first, "Karkles, what is that _smell."_

"Its food dumbass." Karkat crossed his arms and if Sollux looked away from the table he would see a blush on his friend's face.

But Sollux wouldnt look away, because on the table was a beautiful, delicious smelling cake,and three plates with vanilla ice cream next to a slice of the cake.

"What food? I do the thopping and I don't remember buying whatever this ith."

"It's Apple Honey Cake and no one bought it. I made it." Karkat blushed harder, "So are you going to sit down or are you gonna make all my hard work go to waste.

Sollux raised and eyebrow, finally looking at Karkat, "Wait you made it? Thince when could you cook?"

Karkat rolled his eyes, "Jesus maybe I can't cook and you're both going to die from food poisoning. But we won't find out until you sit the fuck down asshole."

After they all sat down Karkat spoke up again, "Listen this is the first time I actually made this so it probably sucks but whatever." Terezi and Sollux both nodded before picking up a bit of cake.

There was complete silence before-

"Holy thit."

Karkat frowned (well frowned deeper), "Yeah yeah I know it sucks but-"

"Karkat this is _amazing._ " Terezi smiled.

"Wait really?"

"Why are you looking thuprithed? We're the oneth who thoud be thuprithed."

"Well I just thought you guys would hate it" Karkat mumbled.

"Karkat this cake is making my synesthesia go nuts!" Terezi laughed.

Karkat smiled a little, "Okay stop talking and eat the damn cake before the ice cream melts."

After they finished (Sollux had two pieces, Terezi had five) and were sitting on the couch Sollux wondered something aloud, "Karkat why did you decide to cook for us? I'm not complaining but you seemed a bit nervous at first."

Karkat stopped looking through the movies, "Well, um, you guys had a bad day and I know I suck at comforting so I thought if I made something you would feel better." He looked away and rubbed his arm -a nervous habit hes had for years.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaw Karkles c'mere." Terezi cood, holding her arms out.

"What? No!"

Sollux smirked holding out his arms as well, "Come on KK you're not getting out of this hug."

"Mmmmmmmmmmm Fine." Karkat grumbled. "But I won't like it."

"Sure you won't" Terezi smiled snuggling up against him.

They stayed like that for a minute until-

"JESUS FUCK TEREZI I TOLD YOU TO STOP LICKING ME"

Terezi cackled and Sollux snorted before giving her a high five. As they settled back in and turned to the movie Karkat realized that he was stupid to ever think that his life would change just because he could cook. And he was more than happy about that fact.

It was a comforting thought.


End file.
